Determination of the relative quantum yields of the conformational species of autoassociating polypeptide gramicidin A in organic solvent using combined fluorescence spectroscopy and high performance liquid chromatography

Abstract A simple, novel method is proposed for the accurate determination of the relative quantum yields of each of the interconverting conformational species of the autoassociating polypeptide gramicidin A in organic solution. The method is based on fitting the experimental results obtained independently from fluorescence emission spectroscopy and high performance liquid chromatography. The fluorescence parameters obtained are discussed in terms of the structural features of the individual conformational species. The advantages of this approach and its possible application to other different organic solvents or to other autoassociating polypeptides are also considered.